Middle East

U.S. to Withdraw All Troops From Syria, Officials Announced
U.S. to Withdraw All Troops From Syria, Officials Announced

U.S. officials announced on Wednesday that troops stationed in Syria will be completely withdrawn over the next two months, according to the Wall Street Journal. Currently, around 1,000 U.S. personnel are in Syria and will leave through a “deliberate and conditions-based transition,” the official said. They also commented that U.S. ...

Israel Casts Doubt on U.S.-Iran Diplomacy, Keeps Strike Option on the Table
Israel Casts Doubt on U.S.-Iran Diplomacy, Keeps Strike Option on the Table

Israeli officials have expressed doubt about the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, believing that the outbreak of a conflict is imminent, according to Al Arabiya.  According to the report, U.S. officials sent a briefing to Israel acknowledging that nuclear dialogue has reached an impasse, and that Iran may not consider making concessions on the ...

Lebanon Steps Up Diplomacy With Quintet as Paris Conference Nears
Lebanon Steps Up Diplomacy With Quintet as Paris Conference Nears

Lebanese officials hold meetings with quintet countries in preparation for the upcoming March 5 conference in Paris, aiming to increase support for the Lebanese Armed Forces.  The conference, jointly led by France and Saudi Arabia, was planned to increase financial and logistical support to the LAF and internal security forces to strengthen ...

Iran, Russia to Conduct Joint Drills in the Sea of Oman
Iran, Russia to Conduct Joint Drills in the Sea of Oman

Iran and Russia will conduct naval manoeuvres in the Sea of Oman on Thursday, following the latest round of talks between Tehran and Washington in Geneva, Iranian media reported. On Monday, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran's military, also launched exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a challenge to US naval ...

Iran 'Drafting Framework to Advance' Future US Talks: FM Tells IAEA Chief
Iran 'Drafting Framework to Advance' Future US Talks: FM Tells IAEA Chief

Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran was "drafting" a framework to advance future talks with Washington, during a phone call with the UN nuclear watchdog. In the call with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, Araghchi "stressed the Islamic Republic of Iran's focus on drafting an initial and coherent ...

From Strategic Depth to Strategic Disruption: Hezbollah’s Next Move in Syria
From Strategic Depth to Strategic Disruption: Hezbollah’s Next Move in Syria

Hezbollah is seeking to disrupt Syria’s security, according to the country’s authorities. They accused the Iran-backed group, which fought alongside Bashar Assad’s ousted regime, of providing weapons to a cell that conducted rocket attacks on Damascus’s Mazzeh district. The authorities said they seized weapons, including several drones ...

IDF Adopts Offensive Stance Against Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon: Report
IDF Adopts Offensive Stance Against Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon: Report

According to Israeli media, Israel’s military has shifted to a more aggressive operational approach in southern Lebanon, citing intelligence that Hezbollah is using civilian reconstruction projects to rebuild military infrastructure near the border. Northern Command Chief General Rafi Milo ordered the new policy, which includes targeting ...

Major U.S.‑Israel Military Operation Against Iran Could Be Imminent: Report
Major U.S.‑Israel Military Operation Against Iran Could Be Imminent: Report

Israeli officials say preparations are underway for a potential war with Iran within days, as U.S. President Donald Trump escalates military pressure on Tehran while warning that diplomacy may be nearing its limit. Two Israeli officials told Axios that Tel Aviv is bracing for a rapid deterioration of the standoff, assuming indirect nuclear talks ...

Turkey MPs Back Moves to 'Reintegrate' Former PKK Fighters
Turkey MPs Back Moves to 'Reintegrate' Former PKK Fighters

Kurdish fighters who have laid down their arms should be reintegrated into society, Turkish lawmakers urged in a key report released Wednesday, while ruling out an "amnesty". The recommendations of the cross-party parliamentary commission are meant to prepare the legal groundwork for peace moves between Turkey and the outlawed Kurdistan ...

SDF Commander Says Integration With Syrian State Has Begun
SDF Commander Says Integration With Syrian State Has Begun

The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, said Tuesday that the integration of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration and its security forces into Syria’s state institutions has formally begun, while cautioning that the process “may take some time” due to political and operational obstacles. Speaking ...

Undisclosed Lebanon–Israel Talks Under U.S. Sponsorship Advance: Report
Undisclosed Lebanon–Israel Talks Under U.S. Sponsorship Advance: Report

Undisclosed negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, sponsored by the United States, have reportedly made substantial progress, a well-informed source told Nidaa al-Watan. According to the source, the talks are being led by a senior Lebanese figure and are based on reciprocal trade-offs. Lebanon is pressing Israel to show flexibility regarding ...